Player News

Alexander's father says a second round pick or better would be an ideal evaluation for Alexander to turn pro, but there is no cut-off. The article below actually adds a new piece of information to the draft process, as the board requests the player and his family to submit which three games they want to be evaluated.

SI's Albert Breer would be surprised if Louisville junior QB Lamar Jackson is selected in the first round.

Breer insinuates the NFL views Jackson as the same player now as he was going into 2016. The questions include anticipation, process a pro offense and the belief Jackson is "more thrower than passer." This topic will be discussed throughout the entire draft process. What we do know is Jackson is one of the top playmakers at his position in years.

Louisville redshirt senior RB Jeremy Smith will play his final season of eligibility elsewhere in 2018.

Smith mainly acted as a backup running back during his two full seasons at Louisville. He will pursue a medical redshirt for this season after sitting out since the second game of the season with a toe injury.

Louisville junior QB Lamar Jackson has been named the ACC Player of the Year.

Second consecutive season that Jackson has scooped up the honor. The electric gunslinger did so on the strength of 3,489 passing yards and a 25/6 TD/INT ratio, plus 1,443 rushing yards and 17 scores on the ground. He will very much be in play for a repeat Heisman Trophy next month.

Louisville junior WR Jaylen Smith caught six passes for 75 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 44-17 win over Kentucky.

Smith scored from 14 yards out early in the fourth quarter, giving Louisville a daunting 44-10 advantage in the process. The 6-foot-4, 219-pound junior wraps the regular season the owner of a 53-873-6 receiving line. He may well have topped 1,000 yards had it not been for a wrist injury which limited him midway through the campaign.

Jackson wasn't quite up to his normal, mind-melting statistical ways, but he put forth a strong performance nonetheless. To recap the Heisman defense that he posted this season -- L-Jax finishes the regular season having thrown for 3,489 yards with a 25/6 TD/INT ratio and has pumped in 1,443 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns.

Louisville junior WR Jaylen Smith went for 95 yards and a touchdown on three catches in a 56-10 drubbing of Syracuse on Saturday.

Smith (6'4/219) has now scored three touchdowns in his last two games. His touchdown on Saturday was a 72-yarder from Lamar Jackson that gave the Cardinals a 28-3 lead in the second quarter. Smith and the Cardinals finish their regular season next week against Kentucky.

Louisville junior QB Lamar Jackson completed 14-of-26 passes for 270 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 111 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday's 56-10 win over Syracuse.

Per usual, Jackson performed brilliantly. Three of the four total touchdowns on his ledger came in the first half as Louisville raced out to an insurmountable 35-3 advantage before the two teams hit their respective locker rooms. The reigning Heisman winner has played every bit like a potential repeat performer this year, having now accounted for 40 scores in 11 contests. He'll try to leave award voters with one last beaut of a game when the Cardinals take on Kentucky next Saturday.

Just a terrifying performance by Williams, who averaged a mouthwatering 20 YPC on the evening. The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder bolted for a 46-yard touchdown with just 25 seconds gone off the first-quarter clock and proceeded to add an even longer 56-yard scoring scamper near the end of the third quarter. The latter touchdown gave Louisville a 49-3 lead. On the year, 329 of his 509 rushing yards have come in just two games (this one, plus a 149-yard performance against North Carolina back in Week 2).

Carson Palmer is currently on the Injured Reserve list, and at most, you're getting one more year out of him before he retires. A natural replacement could be the dynamic playmaker that is Jackson. "Jackson's skill set would open up the Arizona offense and pair well with David Johnson," Miller writes. He remains a divisive prospect among scouts, but his ability to make plays with his feet and arm will make a team fall in love with him. It could be Arizona.

Louisville redshirt senior edge rusher James Hearns posted three sacks, three TFL and three forced fumbles last week against Virginia.

"He has the arc speed to get his inside shoulder past the outside shoulder of the edge blocker, but he showed a variety of moves in this contest, including an efficient inside spin move that flushed the quarterback from the pocket," NFLDraftScout.com's Dane Brugler wrote. "Hearns is more of a straight-line athlete and lacks ideal change-of-direction skills to make tight turns, but his quickness out of his cuts allows him to elude blockers in space." Over the summer, Draft Analyst's Tony Pauline graded Hearns as a third-round prospect. "His strong hands on tackle attempts also stands out, punching the ball out on normal hits," Brugler wrote. "Although he finds himself up-field past the quarterback too often and can be controlled in the run game, Hearns competes with the hunger and play speed that will give him a chance in the NFL." The 6-foot-3, 249-pounder had 11 TFL, eight sacks and five forced fumbles in 12 games last year.

Louisville HC Bobby Petrino said junior CB Jaire Alexander (hand) felt great following his return to the field on Saturday against Virginia.

Out since late October with a broken hand, Alexander returned against the Cavaliers on Saturday. "He came out great," Petrino said. "He feels really good. His legs feel great and fast, and he didn’t have any issues at all with his hands, so go through and have another great week of practice."

Williams was cleared by doctors to return to practice in early October after recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. He dipped his toe in the water for six carries and 43 yards with a score in his previous two games, but this was easily his most extensive and productive work of the season. He'll look to keep it going in a potential shootout with Syracuse next Saturday.

Louisville junior WR Jaylen Smith racked up five receptions for 84 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday's 38-21 win against Virginia.

Lamar Jackson's favorite target was back in the end zone for the first time in four games since returning from a wrist injury. He has managed at least five receptions in each of his seven games so far this season. He'll look to keep up the good work next week in a potential shootout with Syracuse.

Louisville junior QB Lamar Jackson completed 15 of his 26 passes for 195 yards and three touchdowns Saturday in a win against Virginia.

The defending Heisman Trophy winner also racked up a game-high 147 rushing yards and a touchdown. Jackson isn't likely to add another statue to his shelf of accolades, mostly due to the fact his team has four losses. But once again he has eye-popping numbers with 21 touchdown passes and 15 scoring runs through 10 outings while running for 100 or more yards on seven separate occasions.